Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk put on quite a show for me but for a variety of reasons I blew many of the chances I had with it.
It all began with a dispute between this bird and a Rough-legged hawk but as that little drama played out I was fiddling with a memory card that had filled up at an inopportune time (yes, I had forgotten to format it – I hate making rookie mistakes!). Then the red-tail flew off to a nearby hill.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It perched on the hill in several different places but this is the best look I could get at it while it was on the ground. When it would lift off or land I messed up on most of those shots because my focus locked on to the vegetation just beneath the hawk instead of on the bird itself. Or there was a piece of vegetation in front of the bird. Or the hawk was looking away from me. Or,… the list goes on.
Once, a harrier followed the hawk in and I believe there was actual contact between the two birds just after the red-tail landed but my focus was off on those shots too. Not my best day in the field…
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
But I did get this shot as the hawk took off down the hill. I like the flight pose that shows off the feather groupings and intricate plumage patterns and I think the vegetation at the bottom anchors the hawk in the frame.
Every bird photographer has bad days in the field when opportunities present themselves but you miss them due to your own poor choices, outright mistakes or just bad luck. I just hope I’ve used up my allotment of those days for a while.
Ron
Is this the same Red tail as the one scratching an in-flight itch? One can only imagine how spectacularly striking it will be if/when it molts into adulthood. I concur with your and Bryce’s frustrations, although his recent video and your flight shot here argue otherwise.
No, it isn’t the same bird, Mike. The itch scratching image was taken on Antelope Island last year – this bird was at Farmington just a few days ago. Agree – both birds would likely be eye-catching as adults. And yes, wasn’t that clip of Bryce’s Northern Hawk Owl fun to watch?
I have been lucky enough to lead a very interesting life…filled with incredibly interesting animals, people, places, and experiences…your amazing photography, captures and accounts of behaviors keeps the luck going. I was surprised you knew of Gordon…so few do these days. Big Gordon was more my parents’ friend, I was friends with Little Gordon, his sister and “Baby David”…mainly Little Gordon. I can’t help but wonder how digital cameras would
have fitted into his life, but so much of what he did demanded special effects that could be done only by manual settings and lots of framing. I’m sure he’d have had a ball with photoshop. Now, to the real reason for this comment….all I want for Christmas are your discards…you say you only keep about 5%…I’ll be very happy with the other 95%….especially knowing how particular you are!
Patty, I mostly remember Gordon Parks for his work with Life Magazine and his work in civil rights.
Believe me, you wouldn’t want most of my discards. But thanks for the confidence…
Sorry to hear of the troubles, Ron. I can relate. I botched some perfect opportunities to get Northern Hawk Owl in flight images, simply because of this and of that, as you describe. It really makes you want to scream. But at those times, I like to re-focus and remember to take it for what it is, and enjoy what I came away with, and the experience of it all. After all, my missed opportunities make the nailed shots that much sweeter. By the way, you came away with some smashing shots anyway. What a great looking bird. I only hope I reach a level where I can say, I messed up, and still come away with something like your photos here.
Bryce, I saw your video clips of that bird today and I’m so incredibly jealous! You made such a long trip on the off-chance you’d find that bird and you did! Very impressive.
I’d encourage anyone else with an interest in the Northern Hawk Owl to visit Bryce’s blog to see the clips. He drove all the way from Boise to Moscow, Idaho to find it. Here’s the link. http://ornithologi.com/2013/12/08/northern-hawk-owl-surnia-ulula/
Ron, thanks for directing us to Bryce’s blog. Based on this post I’m certain I will enjoy it.
Some days just don’t go as we want them to, but you have some appealing images and all those memories, and made the rest of us feel that it happens to everyone – which is a comfort!
Thank you, Sonja. You’re right, it does happen to everyone – even the “real” pros. Still stings, though…
Even on your ‘bad’ day, you captured at least one stunning image to share – and continued to crowd your own ‘memory card’.
That was just about the only good shot of the day, Elephant’s Child. I can accept that – it happens. What I have a harder time accepting is the fact that it was my own screw-ups (rather than a lack of interesting opportunities)that prevented me from getting even more of them.
I am sorry to say that it makes you human. And, based on so many of your stunning images, some of us (well me) are glad that you are fallible. At least some of the time.
when I was a whole lot younger, I remember complaining to a family friend, named Gordon Parks, that although I had taken several shots of something, none of them were any good. “It’s always so easy for you”, II told him. Gordon, who made his living as a photographer for “Life” magazine and for “Vogue”, started laughing. “Patty, sometimes I have to take HUNDREDS of ROLLS, not shots, to get one decent image! As one who wants instant perfection…every time, I never forgot this
Wow, Gordon Parks! You’ve lead a very interesting life, Patty.
It’s not unusual for me to take from 400 to 800 shots in a three hour morning of shooting – sometimes significantly more, often less. When I cull images I typically keep roughly 5% of them (flight shots, less than that). Birds are tough subjects – they’re incredibly fast, they don’t take posing directions and they’re hard to get close to. Pixels are cheap (unlike the film that Gordon used to shoot) so I take a lot of shots and keep what I like.
Great flight photo of juvenile plumage!
Thanks, Pam.
Ron
I know a lot of “pros”, and your photography is a step up from most of theirs! And that is not to slight anyone, it is simply the truth.
That means a lot, Jerry. Thank you.
Everyone has bad days. Your bad days would be my great days. All relative. These shots are great as always. Adn you are a pro whether or not you sell your photos. Anyone who shoots like you is a big time pro.
Thanks for your confidence in me, Ellen. Much appreciated.
Yep, we all have those days Ron, sorry for the loss of opportunity, but I fully understand how frustrating that is!!
These shots are great – but, it just means more time in the field checking these guys out with a lesson learned!!
I doubt that problem will happen again!
Dick, It’s an old habit of mine to forget to format my card. So I got myself into a routine where I format it twice in the morning before I leave just to make sure it’s been done once. That morning was the first time I’d screwed it up for a long time.
What a sensational shot Ron! I sure wouldn’t mind having that kind of a bad day!
Charlotte
Charlotte, I’d have been REALLY disappointed if I hadn’t been able to get at least one pretty good shot…
Ron, I’m so sorry to hear you had such a bad day. These photos you posted are still so beautiful! I want to thank you so much for sharing your “off days” and “off moments.” The things you described happen to me regularly (especially the focus locked on the wrong thing). Hearing that these things happen occasionally to a Pro, gives me a ray of hope for my own photos.
Thank you, Sharon but I’m really not a “pro” in the usual sense. I’m just someone who spends a lot of time and energy photographing birds. I actually try to avoid selling prints (one of the usual components of “pro-ness”) because of the hassles involved. I simply like spending time with birds and then looking at the images I enjoy. I appreciate the compliment though!
You may not consider yourself a pro, but your work is as fine as any pro’s has ever been. I am as moved by your bird photography (and narrative), as I am by the watercolors of J. Fenwick Lansdowne, and the paintings and drawings of Robert Bateman. So, whether you sell prints or not…you are a pro in my book.